This invention is related to a switching device for electrically activating and deactivating a coaxial cable junction.
In the communication industry and especially in the cable TV industry, it is frequently necessary to activate and deactivate certain coaxial cable equipment junction points to activate or deactivate a user's service.
One method of activating or deactivating a coaxial cable junction is to physically connect or disconnect the cable equipment components which form the junction. However, physically disconnecting the equipment components from one another allows moisture to ingress into the exposed component connection points resulting in corrosion of these components. Corrosion is particularly pernicious for coaxial cable junctions transporting high frequency electrical signals, because the corroded portions reflect the high frequency signals thereby further contributing to signal loss.
Furthermore, it is difficult to reconnect coaxial cable equipment components with the same "tightness" as in the initial connection. Loose connections can result in loss of signal or can cause intermittent or faulty transmission. Also, the repeated connecting and disconnecting of cable components can cause mechanical wear to the components. The damaged components further contribute to signal loss.
Thus, it is desirable to have a coaxial cable switching device which can deactivate and reactivate coaxial cable junctions without requiring the physical disconnection of the cable components which form the junction.
Ordinary electrical switches, however, are generally not satisfactory in coaxial cable systems because they cannot be easily protected from unauthorized tampering. For example, an ordinary electrical switch used to activate and deactivate a user's residence could easily be switched from the "deactivate" position to the "activate" position unless the switch is somehow enclosed in some sort of bulky lock box.
Thus, there is a need for a coaxial cable switching device that allows activation and deactivation of coaxial cable junctions without requiring physical disconnection of the cable components and which can limit access to the activating and deactivating mechanism.